The present invention relates to the field of lacing devices and more specifically to a speed lacing device for an article of athletic footwear that, combined with a tightening device such as a lacing cord, enables quick and easy placement and tightening of an article of athletic footwear, on a wearer""s foot.
A common problem with lacing devices of the prior art is that they often inflict unnecessary friction on the lacing cords. One such lacing device is the basic lacing eyelet found in the upper of many articles of athletic footwear. Lacing eyelets force the lacing cords to be threaded between two horizontal planes, one above the side walls of the upper and one below the side walls of the upper, and force the lacing cords to change direction by 180 degrees over a very thin surface. This sharp change in direction around the lip of the eyelets causes excessive rubbing, and therefore reduces the life-span of the lacing cord.
Obviously if there is excessive friction on the lacing cord, not only will the lacing cord suffer unnecessary wear, but the article of footwear will be more difficult to tighten and undo. Many of the lacing devices described in the prior art require that the wearer tighten the lacing cord at each individual lacing device because there is too much friction between the lacing cord and the lacing devices to be able to tighten the article of footwear with just one pull.
It is also common in the prior art to have lacing devices that are attached to the footwear upper by creating a hole in the upper and attaching the lacing device through the hole. U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,548 describes such a lacing device that includes a rigid loop portion through which the lacing cord is inserted, and a rivet that secures the lacing device to the footwear through a hole in the upper. The rigid loop portion has a series of gripping teeth to ensure that the lacing device is fixed in place. While this method gives a secure attachment, it is time consuming to install and the hole creates a weakness in the fabric of the upper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,057 discloses a lacing device that comprises a flexible loop and a stiff guiding element that is threaded onto the flexible loop. The guiding element is made of plastic and substantially reduces the friction between the lacing cord and the lacing device. While this lacing device reduces friction, a disadvantage is that the guiding element is free to move about on the flexible loop. This means that the guiding element can move out of engagement with the lacing cord causing the lacing cord to interfere with the flexible loop. A second disadvantage of this lacing device is that the guiding element is only in contact with the lacing cord when the lacing cord is under tension. When the boot is being loosened, the lacing cord loses contact with the smooth guide path of the guiding element and falls onto the flexible loop which generates significant friction on the lacing cord. When the boot is re-tightened, there is the possibility that the lacing cord may not engage the guiding element properly, thereby adding friction to the lacing cord and defeating the purpose of the guiding element.
Based on the prior art, an improved lacing device is needed that can reduce the amount of frictional wear on the lacing cord by providing a smooth surface for the lacing cord to slide along both when it in a state of tension and a state of relaxation. Also, a lacing device is needed that can be securely fastened to a footwear upper without creating a hole in the upper fabric.
A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved lacing device comprising an almost-friction-free sliding surface adapted to receive lacing cords.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved lacing device with an almost-friction-free surface adapted to receive lacing cords so that the lacing cord may contact the almost-friction-free surface when it is in both a state of tension and relaxation, in order to reduce lacing resistance and increase the life-span of the lacing cord.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a strong, rigid and long-wearing lacing device that is adapted to be securely fastened to a footwear upper without the need for creating a hole in the surface of the upper fabric.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides an improved speed lacing device for an article of footwear, said lacing device comprising:
a rigid J-shaped element adapted to be securely fastened at one end to a quarter of a footwear upper, said J-shaped element comprising a curved neck portion and a fastening tail that together define an almost-friction-free sliding surface for a lacing cord, said lacing cord being in contact with said sliding surface in either a state of tension or a state of relaxation;
a flexible strap that combined with the J-shaped element forms a closed loop through which said lacing cord is threaded, said strap being securely fastened at both ends to a quarter of the footwear upper;
said rigid J-shaped element and said strap together defining a lacing-cord-passageway adapted to receive a lacing cord for tightening said article of footwear around the wearer""s foot.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention also provides an article of footwear that comprises:
An upper that extends upwardly from the base of the wearer""s foot and comprises two quarters that are separated by an opening at the frontal part of the upper for allowing placement of the footwear on the wearer""s foot.
A series of lacing devices that are attached in rows along the edge of the opening between the two quarters, the rows being positioned in pairs opposite each another, said lacing devices comprising:
a) a rigid J-shaped element adapted to be securely fastened at one end to a quarter of a footwear upper, said J-shaped element comprising a curved neck portion and a fastening tail that together define an almost-friction-free sliding surface for a lacing cord, said lacing cord being in contact with said sliding surface in either a state of tension or a state of relaxation;
b) a flexible strap that combined with the J-shaped element forms a closed loop through which said lacing cord is threaded, said strap adapted to be securely fastened to a quarter of a footwear upper;
c) said rigid J-shaped element and said strap together defining a lacing cord passageway adapted to receive a lacing cord for tightening said article of footwear around the wearer""s foot.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention also provides a speed lacing device for an article of footwear, said lacing device comprising:
A J-shaped element, said J-shaped element comprising a curved neck portion and a fastening tail adapted to be securely fastened to a quarter of a footwear upper;
A strap extending around said J-shaped element for forming therewith a closed loop for receiving a lacing cord, said strap being adapted to sandwich the fastening tail and be securely fastened to a quarter of a footwear upper.